Founded in 1859, BP — Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo is the largest private healthcare center in Latin America in terms of number of beds.

Mission

Founded in 1859, BP — Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo is the largest private healthcare center in Latin America in terms of number of beds. Because its administrators know that the hospital is a highly critical environment where uninterrupted operation must be ensured, the institution sought to invest in a new video monitoring project that would not only enhance security but that would also be a turning point for its operation in all sectors.

Solution

The project, developed by Teleinfo, made the best use of Axis video surveillance technology to provide complete coverage of all areas of BP, including outdoor areas. In each location, the designers considered each camera’s resolution, day/night functionality, integrated IR LED, WDR forensic capture and Axis Lightfinder technology to provide ideal viewing of scenes in any possible scenario. The new system uses 119 Axis network cameras including AXIS M3025-VE, AXIS M3004-V, AXIS P1405-LE and AXIS P5515-E. The images are managed by Digifort software and use Axis Zipstream compression algorithm to reduce bandwidth.

Result

In addition to security, the video surveillance system has enhanced BP’s excellence in customer service and other day-to-day aspects of its operations, such as internal auditing, quality control, improved queue flow in waiting rooms, and monitoring of service levels in the delivery and vehicle receiving areas. The images have even had a positive impact on medical care at the hospital, allowing support teams to act even faster in emergencies. In addition, the discreet design of the equipment allowed the technology to be rolled into the daily routines of the facility without compromising the sense of privacy for patients and their companions.

To develop the project, Teleinfo analyzed the scope requested by the customer in its call for bids and designed a high-availability solution based on risk management, from image capture to storage and security management. BP’s main concern was to improve the experience of its customers in every way. “Axis and Teleinfo embrace the idea of continuing innovation, specifically in the security sector: that is, in terms of providing a prompt response to incidents that occur. Integration allows for synergy between the different security systems. This reduces losses and improves the experience of our customers,” says Adriano Yuzo Mizuguti, corporate manager of Asset Security at BP. To accomplish these goals, 80 AXIS M3004-V, 20 AXIS M3025-VE, 16 AXIS P1405-LE and 3 AXIS P5515-E Network Cameras were deployed.

Security and discretion

The well-being of customers, their companions, and the facility’s medical staff were also taken into account when designing the security system. After all, it was important that the equipment not interfere with customer privacy. “In the hospital setting, it’s important to provide security that goes hand-in-hand with customer privacy. And so the cameras are discreetly designed and allow us to address both requirements at the same time,” explains Mizuguti. The resolution and exclusive technologies that Axis offers were the aspects that enabled a much more comprehensive and effective security operation. The design includes features such as Lightfinder for viewing color images in low light environments — as little as 0.18 lux or lower. Some installed models also have WDR with forensic capture, which applies a set of advanced algorithms to reduce noise levels and display every detail in the scene in the best possible way. This means that video is highly optimized for forensic purposes, ensuring that all details are captured in dark and light zones at the same time, even in scenes with very complex lighting conditions. This allows more certainty in identifying suspects, among other benefits. “As a precaution, we monitor large, high-flow areas, mapping some of them every day. The analytical video system used allows us to automate this process, which contributes to minimizing failures,” explains Mizuguti.

More than security

Pedestrian entrance areas were key monitoring points for the project, because they allow identification of people entering BP premises. At these points, the cameras help the team carry out preventive actions that are more than just security measures. “The images help improve the flow of lines at internal reception desks, and they can monitor services in delivery and receiving areas. They even enable support teams to act in urgent and emergency situations,” says Wellington de Almeida Pimentel Junior, IT Infrastructure Manager at BP.

According to Marco Antônio Rodrigues Avelar, Director of Integration and Advanced Technologies at Teleinfo, “The video surveillance system provides not only effective surveillance of assets but also offers applications in all aspects of the business, which contributes to the development of processes. According to the data it receives, BP uses the images to conduct internal audits and quality control processes.” The ONVIF integration protocol used enables the surveillance system to be integrated with other systems, such as access control. This allows administrators to create rules so that accesses and gates can be more intelligently monitored using the network cameras. “For example, if a customer is seen coming out of a controlled area, images are superimposed in the monitoring station, which allows enhanced security for all medical staff,” says Pimentel.

City Câmeras

Using IP resources, BP began cooperating with the City Câmeras project, an initiative of the city of São Paulo that aims to discourage criminal activity. Perimeter images captured by the Axis cameras installed in the area surrounding BP are shared with the Metropolitan Civil Guard Command and transmitted to other public safety agencies (Military and Civil Police) using an online data communication channel that enables screening of activity taking place on the city’s roadways.